From Africa to Afrocentric Innovations
Some Call “Jazz”
Chapter Three:
Traditional African-American
Music
Traditional African-American Music
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Music Evolves During the Struggle for Independence and Equal Rights….X
American Folksongs and the Blues: Pre-Civil War……………….…………..X
Marches……………………………………………..……………………………X
Minstrel Shows.…………………………………………………………………..X
The Dawn of Ragtime……………………………………………………………X
The Term “Jazz”………………………………………………………………….X
Musical Influence on Religion, Racism, and Revolution.……...………………X
Voodoo_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ X
• Jim Crow Segregation Perpetuates Segregated Musical Styles…………….X
• Summary…………………………………………………………………………..X
A. Definitions - terminology - concepts, places, etc. Think of the effect
each has on the evolution of African-American art music.
1.
Cross fertilization, racism,
13. Creole, mulatto, etc.
sexism, artistic pillaging 14. Elements of Style
2. Africanization
15. Beat-metrical organization & tempo
3. Swing & Rhythm
16. Artistic purpose and/or philosophy
4. Origins of the term jazz 17. Call and response
5. Polyrhythmical
18. Tunes, arrangements, and compositions
6. Syncopation
19. Ostinato
7. Blue Note
20. decorating tones
8. Cultural function
21. Art, Folk & Popular Music
9. Melody
22. African Griot
10. Harmony & changes
23. Storyville & The French Quarters
11. Blues, & AABA Form
24. Patting Juba
12. Timbre (tone color)
25. Place Congo (Congo Square)
B. Understanding the history of the original names used (both
appropriately and inappropriately) to describe the music we now call
“jazz:”
1. March music
2. Novelty music
3. Juke music
4. Fun music
5. Ragged music
6. Blue music
7. Folk music
8. Jass
9. The "Devil's" Music
C. Traditional African musical elements frequently retained in the spiritual, blues, "jazz" and
other music within the African Diaspora; an adaptation resulting from the distillation of
African multi-linguism (etc.), subconscious memory, a social necessity in an environment where
communication was severely restricted, and the convergences of cultural traits within an
oppressive American society.
1. Call and response
14. Interdisciplinary performances
2. Blue notes (microtones)
15. Communal participation
3. Polyrhythms
16. Sustained intensity
4. Street cry - Field hollar
17. Delivery projects over great distance (outdoors)
5. Work song
18. Propensity toward embellishment
6. Sea shanty
19. No musical time limits
7. Church & Spirituality (ritual)
20. Metronomic and repetitive
8. Falsetto Break
21. Hypermetric, non-periodic, rubato, elastic
9. Signifying songs
22. Tension & release
10. Bantu Rain songs
23. Consonance & dissonance
11. timbral liberation (natural sounds)
24. Pitch treatment
12. Ring shout
25. Display of virtuosity
13. Oral tradition
26. Voice imitating instrument & visa versa
D. Religious influences on “jazz:”
E. The Blues
1) The Great Awakening Periods
(1700's and the1800's)
1) Geographical regions involved in
the development:
2) Voodoo vs. Catholicism and the
contradistinction between these and
the Protestant religions (especially
Methodist and Baptist)
3) Understanding the following terms:
a. spiritual
b. gospel
c. jubilee
d. lining out
e. jerks and jerking
a. Delta (Mississippi Alabama)
b. The Territories (TexasLouisiana-ArkansasOklahoma-Missouri)
c. Southeastern seaboard
(Georgia - Florida)
d. Chicago (urban)
e. Kansas City (Mid and
Southwestern - urban)
f. Memphis (urban)
2) Understanding the major types of
Blues and the innovators of each.
Question: WHY DO SOME
PEOPLE FAVOR THE MUSIC
OF THOSE WHO IMMITATE
AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC
(minstrels, Elvis, etc.) WHILE
REJECTING THE MUSIC IN
ITS ORIGINAL FORM?
F.What are the differences between the various styles in
terms of musical elements and sociocultural conditioning?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
Rural Blues
Classical Blues
Rhythm and Blues
Urban Blues
Rock and Roll
Blues or Rock revival
Rhythm and Blues or Soul revival
Blue-eyed soul
G. Minstrelsy and its effect on “jazz.”
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
Geographical areas involved (World's Fairs)
Major composers
Various parts of the minstrel show
Origin of the term "Jim Crow"
Origin and use of the Cake Walk
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
Henry "Juba" Lane (artistic integrity of African American dances).
Jack Diamond
Famous personalities who borrowed from the minstrel show
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
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a. D. H. Lawrence
b. Charlie Chaplin
c. Al Jolson
Christies (England's and North America's love of "black face")
Hoe-down
Social concepts
H. Ragtime as an early “jazz” form:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
Geographical areas involved (The
World’s Fair)
Major composers and their work
Mining camps
Relationship to American theater
(specific composers)
Forms and styles of ragtime
Piano “rolls”
Major record companies
John Phillip Sousa as a ragtime
composer
Ragtime’s relationship to Dixieland
Music for silent films
Ragtime composer Scott Joplin
(1868-1917)
[Image: http://www.lsjunction.com/
people/joplin.htm]
END